The beginning of the semester is long gone but has not been forgotten. President John B. Simpson announced his retirement on the first day of classes and will officially be out of office come Jan. 15, leaving the university on a quest for a new leader.
The search for UB's 15th president is well underway, and Wednesday evening student leaders met with Vice Provost Scott Weber to weigh in on what they expect from their future leader.
Members from the Graduate Student Association, Residence Halls, Athletics, and Greek Life were among some of the attendees. Weber headed the meeting, which was broken down into two sections: the first topic of discussion was the selection process, which was followed by an open forum consisting of questions and comments.
Many of the groups in attendance were concerned with their constituencies but were collectively interested in selecting a president capable of addressing an array of issues, one of which is UB 2020.
The meeting was put together by Undergraduate Student Association President Nischal Vasant, who is also the student representative on the search committee. He called the forum to hear about student concerns and to gain a general idea about what his peers are looking for in a university leader.
Weber made it clear that he was present for the students and emphasized how much he respects student opinion. He also explained the selection process, talking about the level of expertise found on the selection committee, mentioning the hiring of search consultant Ilene Nagel, and highlighting the importance of the position profile, which is a detailed list of qualifications the committee will be looking for in its candidates.
It was also explained that much of the search will remain confidential in order to ensure that the correct candidate is chosen for the position. Although there is no timetable on when the search will be completed, Weber remarked that the committee plans to work swiftly and diligently.
The search committee is not responsible for appointing the new president but instead is in place to present a suggestion to SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, who has the ultimate say.
Vasant urges students to come forward with any thoughts they may want to share regarding the search for UB's 15th president. The entire search committee is dedicated to finding the best possible leader for the university and encourages both questions and comments.
Stay with The Spectrum for continuous coverage on the search for our next president.
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
